Car coupling



Patented July `1K9, 17927.

. UNITED STATES JOHN H. TAYLOR, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

CAR COUPLING.

Application iiled May 15, 1925. Serial No. 30,413.

This invention has reference to car couplers, having for its object to provide a structure in a coupling that will be exceed- `ingly simple and readily manufactured at low cost; one that is very strong, and above all a structure wherein the knuckle Will hold the connected relation of cars even through the coupling pin, or rather that pin used as a pivot for the knuckle, may be broken or re 1o moved.

To the end that the invent-ion may be thoroughly understood I have provided the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1V is a plan of my improved car coupling showing certain parts in section.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the couplerhead in transverse section on line 8--3, Figure 1, and

Figure 4 shows a-V knuckle in perspective as I construct it.

The coupler-head is denoted at 1 and includes the usual stem 2 for attachment to the car, not shown, and has a cavity 3 in the lower portion for receiving a knuckle 4 and a locking member to be described, there being a further cavity 6 forming a guideway for receiving the said locking member, and communicating with said cavity 3, the same extending at right angles to the plane of swinging movement of the said knuckle 4.

The said knuckle as shown in Figures l' and 4 includes at one side of its pointl of pivetal mounting the jaw 4 which is limited in its movement in one direction by a stop 42 which meets a lug 1 of said head 1. It also has a portion 43 at the other side of the pivot point which includes a toe 4* disposed substantially at right angles to the general length of said portion 43. Below said toe 44t the said portion 43 is undercut at 7 by sloping away from said toe toward the opposite side of the knuckle fromv which said toe extends as most clearly shown in Figure 3.

rfhe locking member previously referred to is best shown in Figure. It is a single piece structure including a top yoke-portion 5 and two depending spaced extensions 8 and 9. The extension 8 lies normally guided .Beneath said foot portion and as a. part thereof is a` lug 11 with which engages one arm of abell-crank-lever 12 pivotally carried by a. pin 13 extending into the said head 1. To the other arm of the lever 12 is attached a rod 14 or equivalent part by which said lever may be operated to raise the locking member 5, 8, 9 `out of its seat. The upper side of the described foot portion is an upwardly .angled surface and is adapted in its raising movement to engage the undercut portion 7 of the knuckle and to thereby cause 'the latter to be swung about the pin 15 formlng its pivot in said head 1. 'A

The coupling position of the knuckle 'is shown in Figure 1 wherein its toe 44K engages behind the inner or rear side of the eXtension 9, being held in that position by the engagement of the extension 8 with the portioi 43 as may be clearly seen in Figures 1 an 3.

The'pull applied upon the jaw 42 by vits connection with the companion coupling of a car, neither of which is shown, tends to .swing the knuckle about its pivot but the extension 8, of course, prevents such movement, the said pull upon the jaw being transferred'to the said pin15 and to the locking member 5, 8, 9 through the extension 9 of the latter and the toe 44.

Since the yoke-portion 5 of the locking member and the extension 9 thereof lie behind the abutment of the head 1 by creating the cavity 6, andy since, also, the foot-portion 9 lies in the socket 10, said locking member cannot yield to the strain or strains iinposed thereon and it may be seen that even though the pin 15 were to be removed, or were broken, the toe 44 would still maintain the coupled relation.

The relation of the parts is such that when desired to cause uncoupling by swinging back the jaw 4 the lever 12 is operated to lift the member 5, S, 9, or the latter may be lifted by hand. This action first raises the extension 8 above the level of the top surface of the knuckle, there being permitted a suflicient movement of the said member 5, 8, `9 for this purpose before the foot 9 engages the sloping undercut surface of the said knuckle, the continued move-r ment, however, swinging the latte!l to its outward limit sufficient for the jaw 4 to release or receive a companion jaw, not shown. When the jaw 4 lies at its outermost position or that where the companion that coupling can enter or pass `the same, the limit of outward movement being secured 'by contact ett the stop 42 and lug l, the toe 4:4 will lie within the cavity 6 and support the eX- tcnsion S upon it, the latter being thus held elevated until such time as a couplingl is made whereupon the companion jaw, not shown, in swinging the knuckle 1l will carry the toe 4* beneath the extension 8 and linally engage behind the extension 9, the member 5, 8, 9 droppin@` to its normal locking position.

A point ot advantage in' my structure is since `the locking member is guided in its vertical movements vertically by walls surrounding it practica ly on every side and, lui-ther, tl at the toot-9 thereotl is dropped into tile socket lO which presents a front wall thereto reainvare of and below the level ot the bottom of the cavity '3, that member is wholly and lirmly resistant to pulls imposed upon the knuckle 4 and therefore annot be unseated by the most vigorous pull. llven though the pin l5 that holds the knuckle may be lacking so that the strain is transferred to the said member yet that member can wholly withstand such iliorces. The engagement ot the toe il with the extension 9 is positive and no amount et pull upon the jaw e can possibly cause separation ydue `to "the securing ci the portion a3 between the saidfextension 9 and its companion extension S. On the other hand, the means ot' el'lecting the release ofthe jaw simple, and easy ot operation, there being suliicient leverage provided by the lever to liit the said member 5, 8, 9 and throw out the knuckle.

rlhe knuckle itseliI is believed to be oi novel form and quite simple, there being no projections or angles likely to ypresent dilliculties iu the coupling and uncoupling acts.

The one-piece locking member 5, S, 9 lies entirely in one plane and besides the fact that its upper portion is guided in the cavity (l, Figure (i, in the top o't the coupling, as shown-in Figure 2, its port-ion S lies against the rear wall olf' the coupler-head l and isguided its entire length thereby and must alwaysmaintain an upright position. Tiat is to say, it cannot swing at its lower extremity in a rearward direction while raised in the uncoupled position oli' the knuckle. Due also to the tact that the foot-portion 9 lies in the socket l0 the said member since a rigid structure throughout is prevented trom moving either in a forward or rearward direction when in the lowered position, being therefore free from any such movements in any of its positions. These movei'nents are urther prevented by the abutmentl provided at each side of the p0rtion 9 where it lies in the cavity in the vertical wall of the head wherein the knuckle is pivoted-see Figure l. This control of the member in any and all positions is important in .that there can be no misplacement thereof at any time, particularly when a coupling is being made. Ovt importance, also, is the lact that since there v,is engagement Ioli but one part of the knuckle behind the locking member necessary to complete the coupling act. ln other words it is only necessary `tor the single toe e to engage behind a portion oi' the locking member, Fig ure l, the dropping oi .the portion 8 behind Jhe portion of said .knuckle `preventing he movement ot said toe from its locking iosition. A coupling is produced by the I.structure 4named wherein the llocking member is held from movement in any direction except a vertical one, and the knuckle by having engagementV at the toe point only lehintl the locking member will be locked without i'iail at each coupling operation since said locking member is always in its proper position to penliorm its service.

l claim:

l. In a coupler, a coupler-head including its usual open front cavity, there being a second cavity extending .down through the :top of thecoupler-head opening into the `lirst said cavity, a knuckle mounted in ,the head whose tail is adapted to swing-through the said first cavity into the second said cavit an inverted substantially flatl U-shaped loclying member rigidthroughout slidable verti cally in the said second cavity, the vertical walls of the latter engaging one of the extensions oit' the memberat its liront and rear sides, the tail of the knuckle adapted to engage behind part oli' the rear surface olt the said extension, the other ot' the extensions engaging behind the tail'ol" the knuckle at the guard arm side of the knuckle holding the same in the described engagement with the first described extension, said other extension abutting the rear wall ol. the said sec"` ond cavity and guided thereby in the verti- 'wal movement imparted to zit.

ln the coupler described in claim l, a knuckle having an inclined lower surface, and adapted to cooperate therewith a cam rigidly ormed on one of the extensions of the locking member.

In testimony whereof-I allix my signature.

JOHN H. TAYLOR.

llt) 

